This invention relates to gas turbine engines and particularly the outer case and the method of making the same.
It has become advantageous in certain jet engine models to make the engine case into halves which not only facilitate assembly, it facilitates the maintenance of the engine. Typically the split engine case was manufactured by machining the cylindrical blank to the required dimension and then splitting the case as by sawing it axially through the center.
We have found a more satisfactory way of fabricating a split case by machining the outer diameter of a cylindrical blank, axially grooving two diametrically located slots, inserting two mating half flanges in each slot and turning the inner diameter to expose the inner edges of the flanges, thereby splitting the case.